Former FEMA CEO sues after firing over New York grant to house migrants

The former chief executive officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has sued over her termination last month, saying her firing flouted civil service laws.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) fired Mary Comans over an $80 million grant to New York City allowing for emergency sheltering of migrants that FEMA ultimately clawed back.

The grant was one of many doled out to cities as part of the Shelter and Services Program created by Congress to help pay for the cost of housing migrants.

Comans was one of four FEMA employees fired over the matter.

In a suit filed alongside a parallel complaint submitted to the Merit Systems Protection Board, Comans' attorneys say she was not given due process. They also say the agency wrongly accused her of acting improperly by distributing the funds.

“Because of the issuance of the press release and other steps undertaken by the Defendants, Ms. Comans’ actions were widely, publicly and falsely condemned as ‘illegal’ and ‘criminal’ by rightwing influencers, to include Elon Musk, on various social media platforms,” the suit says.

Musk highlighted the payments on X, claiming that the funds were spent on “luxury” hotels.

That prompted the firing of Comans by DHS.

“Effective immediately, FEMA is terminating the employment of four individuals for circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants,” the agency said in a statement at the time.

“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS will not sit idly and allow deep state activists to undermine the will and safety of the American people.”

New York has also sued over the rescission of the funds.

“No lawful procedure permits Defendants — as they did here — to take back grant funds previously approved and paid without legitimate basis and without first following and complying with the steps required under the applicable rules, grant terms and conditions,” the complaint said.

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